For some who find themselves in the throes of addiction, there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Even the idea of going to rehabilitation to get professional help can seem hopeless. Many addicts feel they have no one to turn to. The silver linings become dim.

But you shouldn’t give up hope. I recently sat down with addiction treatment graduates who told me that success in recovery depends a lot on a positive attitude. Here are a few pieces of wisdom they shared on the topic.

Get back on the horse

You know the old saying: when you fall off a horse, you get up and get back on. Zach said you also have to quit worrying about others finding out you fell — and instead, focus on getting up.

“Everybody fails. It’s how you react to it, what you do next, that matters,” he said. “I know what it’s like to go through every day thinking no one understands you. I know what it’s like to hide everything from your family so you don’t upset them. You convince yourself that you still have your pride, so it’s really hard to take that step and reach out to somebody. It stinks.”

Fortunately, your recovery peers will be the last ones to judge you and the first ones to understand, but you have to find the courage to let them help. Zach explained:

“You need a group of people that are on the same mission you’re on. It takes work and it’s not going to be easy, but if you’re thinking about it, that’s already a big part of it. You’ve got to find the strength to take the next step. When you get the help you need to get out of your rut and succeed in life, you’ll see things change.”

Keep things in perspective

Just because you get clean doesn’t mean you’re never going to have another bad day, and you might think that coping substance-free isn’t possible. But Wendy told me that in the clarity of sobriety, she’s actually able to see things exactly as they are.

“I came home from work one day recently and had groceries in the car, and [my fiance] wasn’t out there to help me bring them in. I was a little pissed at first, but then I sat in my car for a few minutes and thought, ‘Really? Is this something to be mad about?’”

When you think about all the challenges you’ve already overcome — from those heavy nights of partying to those long days of detox — you realize there are way more things to be grateful for than angry over.

“Now instead of letting myself be overwhelmed by negative thoughts, things just disappear,” Wendy went on. “Things aren’t as bad as we make them. We tend to make huge deals of things that are really just tiny specks on the spectrum.”

We all make mistakes

Not everyone has a drug or alcohol addiction, but virtually every person can relate to making regrettable choices. Lincoln said one of the most rewarding parts of his time at the Treehouse, an Addiction Campuses facility in Texas, was realizing that he wasn’t alone.

“That’s the beautiful thing about the world we live in — there are 7 billion people and nobody’s life is perfect. Everybody goes through traumas and dramas and has had things happen that brought them to where they are now,” he shared.

And it isn’t just comforting to know there are others with struggles — it’s inspiring, too.

“No matter what you’re going through, somebody has been through it before you, and somebody was able to get past where you are now,” he said.